Anglican Church of Kenya Archbishop Jackson ole Sapit yesterday called on leaders to stop politicising the Mau Forest conservation efforts.
He said Kenyans have responsibility to care for creation and should therefore support President Uhuru Kenyatta on environmental conservation.
Sapit told off those opposing the ongoing Mau Forest eviction and urged Uhuru not to relent on his mission.
While he supported the restoration of the country's largest water tower, Sapit said the evictions should be done in human manner.
“We should protect creation. God gave us a relationship with plants and animals. If we destroy one aspect of the order then we are destroying ourselves,” Sapit said.
He was speaking at Kisumu’s ACK after presiding over the retirement ceremony of outgoing Maseno South Diocese Bishop Mwai Abiero.
Sapit said protection of forests, rivers and curbing pollution is about caring for the environment.
“The bible says the environment is groaning and crying out because people have destroyed it. We urged Uhuru not to relent in the preservation of forests,” he said.
The Mau Forest complex is the source of key rivers that drain into Lake Victoria. It also feeds Lake Baringo and Lake Nakuru.
River Molo starts from the swamp at the tower and drains its waters into Lake Baringo, Njoro and Ndarogo rivers drain water into Lake Nakuru with Narok and Ewaso Ng'iro draining water into Lake Natron where our flamingoes hatch, Sapit said.
The swamp also produced Mara River that drain waters into Lake Victoria through the Mara and Serengeti.
Kisonoi or Sondu-Miriu River where the government generates electricity also starts from Mau.
“Without preservation of rivers emanating from Mau Forest, the tea sector in Kericho will be at risk because there shall be no sufficient rainfall,” Sapit said.
Sapit said the forest is the lifeline to Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Nakuru, Kisumu counties and neighbouring Tanzania.
“The conservation efforts should not be politicised or ethnicised. We have seen politicians coming out to talk as if that forest belongs to a certain community,” Sapit said.
The archbishop stated that the Mau forest is for prosperity, nature, God, Kenyans and future generation and not a particular community.
Some Rift Valley politicians have opposed to the eviction and accused Environment CS Koriako Tobiko for engineering the plan.
inhumane evictions.
Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot and his Bomet Counterpart Andrew Langat accused Tobiko of hiding behind forest conservation to play tribal politics.
The evictions are said to affect close to 40,000 people who had encroached on the forest.
So far the second phase has seen about 12 acres reclaimed and 8,000
people evicted.
Recently
Nyanza MPs told off Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen for dragging opposition leader Raila Odinga’s name into Mau eviction row.
The legislators Mark Nyamita (Uriri), Jared Okello (Nyando), Aduma Owuor (Nyakach) and Kisumu Senator Fred Outa said the Mau eviction is being coordinated from DP William Ruto’s office.
Murkomen accused Raila of masterminding the evictions. The accusations have sparked off political storms which have seen verbal attacks between Ruto and Raila’s allies.
But the MPs accused Murkomen of playing cheap politics saying the legislator should move to court if he feels aggrieved by the evictions.
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